1. Field of the Invention
This application relates to a diaper changing station and more specifically to a diaper changing station to be used within a motor vehicle's interior space when the vehicle is stationary.
2. Background and Description of the Related Art
Baby changing stations are in common use in the United States and in many other countries. Their primary objective is to provide a surface upon which a baby can rest, said surface being situated at a convenient position to facilitate changing the baby's diaper. Most stations are usually located in home nurseries and in public restrooms. Their primary objective is to place the baby resting surface at a convenient height. The surface may or may not have a soft pad or mattress upon which the baby can rest. However, the changing stations described above, while they can be mobile, are not portable. Examples of restroom or wall-mounted changing stations are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,754,999, 6,049,928, 6,055,688, and 6,859,966 all issued to Helmsderfer, U.S. Pat. No. 6,151,737 issued to Henninge, U.S. Pat. No. 6,256,803 issued to Sauerbrei, and U.S. Pat. No. 7,131,155 issued to Fernandez. In addition, they were disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2004/0078859 and 2005/0138735, both by Helmsderfer. U.S. Design Pat. No. 0302,088 issued to Burt as well as 0378,966 and 0391,794 both issued to Helmsderfer show the appearance of such wall-mounted stations.
Portable baby changing stations have also been disclosed in U.S. patent literature. When people travel with babies, it is generally undesirable to rest a baby on a desk, table, or floor or directly on an automobile seat in order to change a diaper. It is certainly unacceptable to rest the baby on the ground. An example of a portable baby changing station for general use while traveling is U.S. Pat. No. 4,781,277 issued to Lim. Here, Lim discloses a nappy or diaper changing bag is made from a soft quilted plastic material and comprises two closable storage compartments connected at their undersides by a mat on which the baby being changed is placed. It is carried as a tote bag, and it unfolds to create the changing station. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,327,726 issued to Weber, the inventor disclosed a soft baby changing station having utility pockets that is used as a hammock between two rows of seats in an automobile. U.S. Pat. No. 6,421,856 issued to Furnback discloses a rigid automobile changing station. U.S. Pat. No. 6,497,441 issued to Mahmood, et. al. and U.S. Pat. No. 6,588,821 issued to Worrell, et. al. both disclose the same rigid changing station designed to be used in a vehicle. U.S. Pat. No. 5,852,838 issued to Johnson discloses a cushion for use with sloped vehicle seats, to provide a substantially level and horizontal surface upon which to change infant's diapers.
Parents travel with infants on a daily basis both on short and long trips. They take their children to the supermarket, the mall, the beauty salon, etc. The automobile stations noted above need to be mounted in the automobile, and are not very convenient to use. The nappy changing station of Lim that converts to a tote bag is considerably more convenient, but is still bulky. An active mother who takes her baby with her on all her daily errands must be prepared to change diapers often. The safest, cleanest and easiest place for her to change the diaper is in the comfort of her car. A baby changing station needs to be soft and flexible and should be able to be rolled for storage and unrolled for changing diapers. The changing station should be able to be placed on an automobile seat or on the rear inside surface of a hatchback or SUV. It should also have pockets for diapers, wipes, baby ointments, etc. However, it should be able to be affixed to the car so that a parent can leave the house without a diaper bag, knowing that if the baby needs a change, the supplies are already in the car.